Electrical apparatus



Dec. 20, R LANSlNG ELECTRICAL APPARATUS 7 Filed Jan. 5, 1929 Patented Dec. 20, 1932 are: avew COW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND P. LANSING, OF MONTGLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A GOREORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Application filed January 5, 1929. Serial No. 330,680.

This invention relates to means for interrupting an electrical circuit, and more par ticularlv to means of the vibratory type for regulating the electrical output of a generati g means.

For the most part voltage and current regulators of the vibratory type heretofore provided have been somewhat erratic in operation and of such construction as to be unreliable when subjected to hard usage. Moreover. the handling necessary to ordinary us"- age frequently changed the adjustment of the regulator. lVhere the regulator embodied a. swinging armature provided with a pivot intermediate the core end and the contact end, accurate regulation was diilicult to obtain due to the varying fulcrum of the armature.

An object of the present invention is to pro vide a novel regulator which is rugged in construction. extremely accurate in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a regulator which so constructed that two paths are provided through the armature for the magnetic lines of force whereby the operation of said regulator is rendered more positive and accurate,

Another object is to provide a regulator of the type embodying a swinging armature, which is so constituted that the pivotal axis for the armature is non-varying and definite, and the objectionable effects produced by a varying fulcrum are avoided.

A further object is to provide novel means for retaining the armature pivot member in the desired position.

Another object is to provide novel contact means for the regulator whereby the structure is rendered more certain and accurate in operation. The above and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accoi'npanying drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View illustrating the preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 1 are detail, perspective views,

illustrating certain elements which may be embodied in the structure constituting the subject matter of the present invention.

The regulator is adapted to be mounted on a suitable panel (not shown) by means of the substantially rectangular member 5 which is' opposite end is connterbored to receive a screw for rigidly attaching said core and coil to one end of member 5. For reasons to be'pointed out more fully hereinafter a tongue 10 is bent inwardly at substantially right angles from the member 5, the end of said tongue terminating closely adjacent to the free end of a swinging armature 11 which is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 12 on a bracket 13 that is rigidly attached as by means of rivets or other suitable devices to the outer surface of the side of member 5 opposite that carrying tongue 10.

The armature is provided. with a counterbalance 1% in order to bring thc center of gravity of said armature to'the axis of pivot member 12. Extending through counterbalance 14 is an anchor member 15 carrying an.

eye 16' to receive one end of a coil spring 17. The other end of spring 17 is secured to a rectangular member 18 which extends loosely through a rectangular opening in a bracket 19 attached in any suitable manner to the side of bracket 13. The tension of spring 17 may be varied, to modify the movement of armature 11, by, means of the adjusting screw 20. A serrated member 21 and a stationary locking member 21 that is carried by bracket 13 and engages the member 21 maintain the parts in adjusted position.

In order to facilitate assembly of the apparatus pivot pin 12 preferably has a slid ing fit in bracket 13 and armature'll, and novel means are provided for retaining said pivot pin in operative position. As shown more clearly in Fig. 4. the retaining means for pivot member 12 is constituted by a wire bail 22 which has engagement at points 23 and 24 with the upper and lower ends of pivot member or pm 12. Arms prevent the bail from swinging into engagement with counterbalance 14, and since said arms terminate substantially in the planes of the pivot engaging portions 23, Q, the bail can be quickly engaged wlth or disengaged from the member 12.

."The'a'rmature 11 carries adjacent the free end thereof a, contact 26 which is disposed substantially coaxiallywith the longitudinal axis of the core member 6 and which projects laterally from the upper face of said armature as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3.

Contact 26 normally engages a stationary contact 27 carried by the end of a screw 28 which extends through, and has threaded engagement with, a substantially rectangular plate 29. The latter is secured to the spaced ends 5 of the reetangularmember 5 as by means of a plurality of screws 30. Lock-nuts 31 and 32 are provided for retaining the contact carrying screw 28in adjusted position relative to plate 29 and preferably a lock washer 33 is associated with said nuts. Locking plates 34 carrying tabs 35 which are prefe'rably bentinto engagement with the heads of screws 30 are provided to prevent loosen ingof the latter. If desired a terminal member 36 for contact 27 may be clamped between plate 25) and nut 31.

Various means may be employed for insulating contact 27 from the remainder of the structure. In the form shown the contact carrying plate 29 is insulated from member 5 by means of insulating strips 37 and 38, and suitable sleeves 89 coact with said strips to prevent electrical engagement of screws 30 with plate 29. If desired, an adjustable stop and wear member 1'0, adapted to be engaged by armature 11, may be provided in the head 8 of core member 6.

Contacts 26 and 27 are normally maintained in engagement by means of spring 17. \Vhen the electrical output of the generator orcurrent supply means (not shown) exceeds the desired amount, which amount is rcdetermined in accordance with the adustment of spring 17, a sutliciently strong magnetic field is set up by the solenoid 6, 7 to raw the free end of armature 11 into engagement with stop member 40 whereby the circuit through contacts 26 and 27 is broken. The openings of the circuit 26, 27 may serve to place a resistance, not shown, in circuit with the field windings of the generator, for example, whereby the electrical output of the latter is decreased. The decrease in the magnetic field of the solenoid now permits spring 17 to again close contacts 26 and 27. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the swinging movement of armature 11 is a rapid, vibratory one. 1

It will be noted that two paths are provided for the magnetic lines of force through the armature 11, one of said paths being through the end portion and right hand side of member 5, as viewed inFig. 2, and the other being through the end portion and left hand side of member 5 and from thence through tongue 10 to the armature. In apparatus of this character it is highly desirable to secure a low flux density in the magnetic circuitfor a given magnetic pull inqa given magnet of definite size and weight. In structures of the type heretofore employed, wherein asingle path only was provided through the armature for the magnetic lines of force. the flux density was necessarily high unless the weight and size of the member or members forming said single path were large. The present invention results in securing a given magnetic pull with low flux density, with a small sized magnet, and with relative 1y low current flow in coil 7 due to the low reluctance magnetic circuit constituted by the two paths. Thus a material saving in size. and weight can be effected by the use of this invention and at the same time positive action of the device is insured.

Armature 11 and contacts 26, 27 are so formed that the fulcrum for the armature does not vary as in the case where the pivot member is intermediate the contacts and the solenoid core. The regulating action of the device can therefore be very accurately maintained.

The apparatus is rugged in construction and inexpensive to manufacture. The parts are so associated that the handling necessary to ordinary usage will not alter the setting or adjustment of the parts. Various changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of the elements of the apparatus as will now readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Only one embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood, however. that the drawing is for purposes of illustration only and is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. In a regulator of the class described, a magnet, a substantially rectangular supporting member for the magnet, one end of said member having a cut away portion, a swinging armature carried by said member, a contact carried by the armature, a plate bridged across the cut away portion of said member. a contact carried by said plate and engageable by said first named contact, means for insulating the second named contact from the supporting member, and adjustable means having operative engagement with the armaturefbrf yieldingly maintaining said contacts closed. a

2. In apparatus of the typeembodying an electromagnet and a swinging armature actuated thereby, a supporting member for said magnet and armature, a pin extending through said'member and constituting a pivot member for the armature, and a flexible membcr having engagement with said pin for maintaining the latter in operative position.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a magnet, a support therefor, means including a swinging armature, a pin for pivotally mounting said armature on said support and in operative relation with said magnet, a wire bail having engagement with the opposite ends of said pin for retaining the same in operative position, and engageable contacts carried by the support and armature.

4. In a regulator of the vibratory type, a magnet, a substantially rectangular member for supporting the magnet, one end of said member having a cut away portion, a swing ing armature pivoted to said member and extending therethrough, a contact carried by said armature and disposed substantially coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the magnet, a plate bridging the interrupted end of said supporting member, means for insulating said plate from said supporting member,

a stationary contact carried by said plate and normally engaged by the armature contact, and yielding means for resisting movement of the armature contact away from said stationary contact. 7 I

5. In a regulator of the vibratory type, an electromagnet, a substantially rectangular member for supporting said magnet, the latter being positioned within said member and secured to one end thereof, an armature pivoted to said member and extending through an opening in the side thereof, a ton e extending from the opposite side of said suporting member and terminating closely adacent the free end of said armature, engageable contacts carried by said member and armature, and yielding means operatively connected to said armature.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a rectangular supporting member, an electromagnet carried thereby, an armature adapted to vibrate carried by said member and extending through one side thereof, a contact carried by said armature adjacent one end thereof and a counterbalance carried by the opposite end of the armature, a contact carried by said member and engageable by the first named contact, the contacts being disposed substantially in alignment, and means for yieldingly resisting the force of the sole noid tending to separate said contacts.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a supporting member, a magnet carried thereby, an armature pivoted to said member and extending through an opening in the side thereof, engageable contactscarriedby said member and armature, saidcontacts being disposed substantially in alignment, means having operative engagement with said ar-' mature for yieldingly maintaining said contacts inengagement, and means operative as soon assaid magnet is energized to form two aths of magnetic lines of force, each of whic paths includes said supporting memher and said armature.

8. In apparatus of the type embodying an electromagnet and a swinging armature actuated thereby, the combination of a supporting member for said magnet, a pin extending through said member and'constitutin a pivot member forthe armature, said mem r being rovided with a tongue which terminates crosely adjacent and in the same plane with the free end of the armature and constitutes a portion of a path for magnetic lines of force passing through the armature.

9. In a regulator of the class described, an electromagnet, means including a vibrating armature associated therewith, and a member provided with an inwardly extending tongue terminating closely adjacent and in the same plane with said armature, the tongue and armature constitutinga portion of a path for magnetic lines of force.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

RAYMOND P. LANSING.

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